


A Bit of Grace

by Brishton



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bittybones (Undertale), Bitty Human, Bitty reader, Brother Feels, Cute, Family, Family Feels, Feels, First Meetings, Fluff, G/T, Gen, Humans are all bitties, Light-Hearted, No Papyrus, Panic Attacks, Promise, References to Depression, Size Difference, Social Anxiety, Sorry Not Sorry, The three Sanses are brothers, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, bitty - Freeform, nothing bad happens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 04:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20942507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brishton/pseuds/Brishton
Summary: For the past several years, Edge has been in quite the depressive state. Growing increasingly desperate, his brothers drag him along to the local bitty center to find a new friend to bring back that skeletal grin of his. Maybe, just maybe, a tiny bitty human will be the solution they've been looking for.Edge has his doubts.





	1. This Is An Awful Idea

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bitty Reader Adventures](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6259684) by [Rivethart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivethart/pseuds/Rivethart). 

> Heavily inspired by the Bitty Bones and Bitty Reader AUs.
> 
> A HUUUUUGE thanks to the best writing buddy in the whole world, @just-plain-lunacy (on Tumblr) for giving me her blessing to use her precious baby in this. I love you girl, and ain't no way I'd be posting this without you.
> 
> I'm admittedly rusty in regards to posting fanfics, heh. It sure has been a while. I honestly don't even know if there's an audience for this, but I hope you enjoy it all the same :)
> 
> EDIT: Decided to change the title since “A Bitty For Edge” felt a little too on the nose, heh.

Edge hated this.

He really, _really_ hated this.

“Well! Here we are!” Blue declared as the gray van pulled to a park, causing Edge to sink even lower in the seat.

From the passenger’s seat, a bright-eyed Berry spun around to look back at him, his grin threatening to break his skull. “Ready to go meet your new friend?!”

“No.”

Berry’s face fell, though it quickly turned into a scowl. “Oooh, now come on, Edge! You can’t go in to find your new best friend with that kind of attitude.”

“Ya know what? You’re right.”

Berry blinked in surprise before perking up. “Yeah! That’s the sp-”

“I just ain’t in the right mindset for this whole thing,” Edge continued with a helpless shrug, shooting Berry a wink. “Guess that means I can’t go through with it.”

“Wha- EDGE! NO!”

Without warning, a bone hand smacked the backside of Edge’s head. “The fuck?!”

Looking over, Edge realized Blue had already gotten out and was now standing beside him, his arms firmly crossed and his sockets narrowed into the dreaded “big brother look”. Oof. “Come on, bro. You’re not getting outta this one.”

“Blueee-”

“Nope. Nuh-uh. We’re here, we’re doing it. End of discussion.”

Edge crossed his arms and looked away with a heavy pout. This was so fucking stupid. Why were they being so stubborn about this? It wouldn’t even fucking work anyway…

A gentle hand on Edge’s shoulder made him look back over to see Blue, his white eyes glowing softly. “Hey. All we’re askin’ is for you to give this a try. If you find someone you click with, then great! If not, then no big deal.”

Edge grimaced. “As soon as we’re done, we go straight home afterwards?”

“Mhm.”

“No more driving me around, trying to find ways to ‘make me happy’?”

Blue’s face fell a bit, but he nodded all the same. He smiled. “Dude, I already know how to make you happy.”

Edge raised a suspicious brow bone.

“After all this, we’ll order some pizza, and we can watch whatever dumb movie you want.”

Edge’s red eyes sparked. “Can we watch the latest _Bear Grylls Kills_?”

Blue snorted and winked. “Sounds like a plan to me. You’ll have to convince Berry of that one though; you know he hates how violent those movies are.”

Edge waved a dismissive hand as he finally undid the seatbelt and hopped out, shutting the door behind him. “Fuck Berry. This is _my_ movie night.” This earned another smack from Blue, though it was done with a playful smirk.

“Oh my gosh. GUYS. Come _on_!” Berry, already by the front door, was impatiently tapping his foot, his blue eyes glaring at them as though if he focused hard enough, he could make them move faster.

Blue snorted. “Probably shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

Edge winced, and he looked up at the storefront, finally taking it in.

_ **FREEMONT BITTY CENTER** _

The store itself wasn’t terribly large, but it had an admittedly welcoming atmosphere. The walls were completely white, save for the very bottom where a collection of rather cute paintings of human bitties could be seen, all of them playing and laughing and smiling with joy. In the windows were a few flyers, advertising a handful of sales they had going on.

In fact, that was the main reason why they chose today: bitties, along with all of the supplies that were needed to take care of them, were _expensive_. And, while the brothers weren’t exactly poor per se, they didn’t have the luxury of slinging cash around however they saw fit. If they were going to be diving down this rabbit hole, they needed every discount they could get.

Edge grimaced, his eyes dimming a bit. Of course, that was largely his fault, no matter how much his brothers tried to deny it.

For several years now, Edge’s mind had been deeply entrenched in quite the dark funk, one that hadn’t shown any signs of improvement. While both of his brothers had jobs (Blue at a research facility and Berry at a craft store), he had remained unemployed. It wasn’t as though he didn’t try: he had managed to secure a handful of labor intensive jobs over the years. Unfortunately though, none of them had lasted very long; he simply hadn’t managed to keep the motivation ball rolling, and time and time again, he found himself getting the boot.

To say it was frustrating would be an understatement. He hated his inability to do anything except leech off of his brothers. If it weren’t for him, their lives would be infinitely better. Berry would’ve been able to go off to college, Blue would’ve been able to apply for the space program. They deserved so much more, and here he was, a useless sack of bones holding them back from their dreams.

To make matters worse, Blue and Berry weren’t even the slightest bit mad about any of it. They felt _sorry_ for him. Ugh! They always went out of their way to make sure he was feeling fine and that he was taken care of, even though he didn’t deserve one bit of it. He was garbage, plain and simple. He saw it every time he looked in a mirror. If only they could see it too.

Today was their latest attempt to brighten up Edge’s life. No doubt it would be yet another dead end, but despite his protests, they still wanted to give it a try. He wasn’t sure how they thought getting a bitty would be a good solution. He couldn’t even take care of his own damn self, how could he _possibly_ take care of a little sack of meat? Not only that, but having a tiny nuisance running around and blabbing and climbing all over him was the absolute LAST thing he wanted.

It certainly didn’t help that there was no way he’d ever be able to make a bitty happy. He was a boring, useless trash bag with a bad attitude. He wasn’t active, he wasn’t cheerful, and he without a doubt would be the worst friend imaginable to one of the cute little freaks.

But who knows? Maybe, just MAYBE, Edge would walk out with a tiny human on his shoulder just like in all of the stupid commercials, and his life would suddenly be filled with rainbows and sunshine and smiles galore.

Heh. As IF.

Edge was abruptly jostled out of his thoughts by a gentle nudge to his ribs. He snapped his head over to see Blue with that easy-going smile of his, looking like the embodiment of relaxation itself. Geez, how could the guy be so chill? Edge couldn’t help but envy him, just a little bit. “You ready?”

Fuck no.

Edge shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jacket and swallowed hard, his red eyes locked onto the glass door before them. “Let’s just get this over with,” he mumbled before entering the building, Berry and Blue following right behind.

He really, really, REALLY fucking hated this.

As the trio stepped inside, a tiny bell rang above their heads, signalling their entrance.

Almost immediately, Berry gasped, his hands flying to his face and his eyes filling with stars. “Oh. My. GOODNESS!” he squeed, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what had caused the reaction.

A short distance away was a large square pen of sorts, the white walls about two feet high. Inside were an assortment of pillows and blankets, plushies and toys, jungle gyms and activity centers.

Of course, all of this was nothing but background for the true stars of the show: the bitties. There had to have been at least two dozen of the tiny human creatures, and the brothers’ entrance had caused all of them to cease their activities and focus on the boys. Soon, the building was filled with a chorus of excited “Hello!”s, many of the bitties hurrying over to the nearest wall to get a better look at the newcomers.

Berry let out a squeak and attempted to rush over, but a firm hand on the shoulder rooted him in place. “Easy there, dude,” Blue chuckled. “We ain’t shopping for you today, remember?”

Berry turned to look at him with big, sad sockets, doing his best attempt at a puppy-dog pout. “I-I know… but maybe I could just chat with them for a bit? Maybe try and see if I can find a good match for Edge?”

Blue’s face grew a bit stern, causing Berry’s shoulders to slump. “Nuh-uh. I know you’re excited, but I won’t have any meddling with this. This is up to Edge and him alone—if he doesn’t find someone he connects with, then we’ll call it a day. Okay?”

Berry sighed and hung his head. “Okay…”

After a moment, Blue’s face softened and he leaned in a bit closer. “That said… if we do happen to find someone, you’re more than welcome to go and hang with the rest of the little tykes.”

Just like that, Berry was aglow once more. “Really?”

“Yep.” Blue winked. “I’m sure after getting rejected, they’ll need lots and lots of love and comfort.”

Berry gasped. “I am AMAZING at that.”

Blue chuckled. “I know you are, bro.” He wrapped an arm around Berry’s shoulder. “Come on, I think I saw someone working towards the back.”

Berry nodded excitedly before looking behind him. “Edge?”

Edge had been idly reading a poster about bitty biology, firmly keeping his eyes away from the pen holding said tiny creatures. “Hm?”

“Come on! You can’t just stand there all day!”

Edge winced and sank further into his jacket, looking as though he’d like to do just that.

Gently, Berry took his hand, causing Edge to sigh in defeat. After sending his older brother a reassuring smile, the trio began to walk through the store.

It wasn’t long before they were flagged down by what looked like the sole employee of the store. A light elemental, she sent the three a bright smile, which wasn’t hard considering her entire body was radiating with a soft, golden-white glow, little particles bubbling off of her as she moved about. “Aha! I thought I heard someone come in!” she cheerfully said as she walked over, the pretty pink apron she wore bouncing with each step. “Hello! How can I help you all today?”

Blue shot her an easy smile and stuck out his hand, to which she happily accepted and shook. “Hey, nice ta meetcha. We’re looking to perhaps adopt a bitty for my bro, so uh, maybe you can _shine a light_ on how this whole thing works?”

The woman giggled and nodded her head. “It would be my pleasure, Mr….”

“Blue.”

Her gaze grew warm. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Blue. I’m Mama Bri, the local bitty Mama here in Freemont. Is this your first time adopting?”

“Yep. Got a couple of newbies here.”

Mama Bri’s smile grew. “Well I’m delighted to hear that you’re interested. Bitties are wonderful companions, and I’m sure we’ll find the perfect friend for your brother,” she said, her gaze shifting to Berry. She stuck out a hand to him. “And your name, sir?”

Berry’s eyes grew wide and he let out a laugh, waving his hands before accepting and shaking hers. “Oh! I’m Berry, but the bitty isn’t for me! It’s for my brother, Edge!”

Mama Bri tilted her head, frowning a bit. “Oh, I see. I must warn you, though, adopting a bitty as a surprise gift is generally not a good idea.”

Both Blue and Berry blinked in surprise. “Wait, what? But he’s-” The brothers turned around, only to find the spot behind them missing a skeleton.

From the front of the store, the tiny bell above the door jingled.

Blue’s brow furrowed, and he walked to where he could see the store entrance. “EDGE.”

Edge froze in the doorway, his skull slowly swiveling back to look at his not-so-happy brother. He gave a guilty smile and chuckled nervously. “Uh… I thought I saw a couple of bitties playing outside?” he tried.

Blue crossed his arms, and his white eyes sparked dangerously.

Just like that, Edge’s whole body slumped and he dragged himself back inside, roughly shouldering Blue with a grumble as he made his way back to the others. Blue merely rolled his eyes before joining him as well, placing a rather firm hand on his shoulder. “Sorry bout that. THIS is Edge, the one who’s looking to adopt today.”

Edge sank lower in his jacket and looked away, his jagged teeth forming a heavy frown.

Mama Bri’s gaze softened, and she extended her hand to him. “It’s nice to meet you, Edge. I hope we’re able to find a special friend for you today.”

Edge stared at the glowing appendage for a long moment before reluctantly accepting it and giving it a shake.

“So, what made you interested in adopting a bitty?”

“I ain’t.”

Mama Bri blinked. “Sorry?”

“I said I ain’t!” Edge snapped, raising his voice and glaring at her with bright red eyes. “I don’t want no stupid pet!”

“Edge! Please don’t be rude,” Berry hissed with concern. Blue shot Edge a glare of his own, his hand gripping the younger skeleton’s shoulder even tighter in warning.

However, Mama Bri seemed far from offended or even startled. She crossed her arms and stood up straight, and while she was slightly shorter than Edge himself, she seemed to grow taller as an air of authority surrounded her. “That’s good to hear.”

All three brothers turned to her, blinking in surprise.

She raised a stern eyebrow, the light from her body darkening a bit. “Bitties aren’t _pets_, Mr. Edge, so it’s reassuring to hear that’s not what you’re looking for today,” she continued, her white eyes locked onto his red pair. Each word she spoke was sharp, and despite her cutesy appearance, it was abundantly clear that there was a dangerous amount of weight behind her words. “Bitties are friends, companions, family members. Adopting one is a serious commitment, one that should not be taken lightly… no pun intended.” She tilted her head, regarding him. “If that is too much for you to handle, then I must ask for you three to leave; I will not let any of my bitties out that door with a family that won’t properly take care of them. Do I make myself clear?”

Despite having only focused her speech on Edge, all three brothers nodded in unison, practically feeling as small as a bitty themselves.

Mama Bri perked up with a satisfied smile and nod, and her natural light began to shine once more. “Good! Glad we cleared that up.” Her gaze shifted to Blue, and her face grew a tad serious. “Now, Mr. Blue… might I have a word with you real quick?”

Blue’s brow bones shot up a bit, and he nodded. Before he left, though, he turned back to Edge with a heavy frown. “No. Escaping.”

Edge rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I hear ya.”

Satisfied, Blue gave him a pat on the head. “Thaaat’s a good Edgy boy.”

“Man, fuck off!”

Blue smirked as he walked off with Mama Bri, the sounds of Edge growling and Berry snickering growing fainter as they retreated to the back of the store. The pair stopped by a wall lined with rather pricey bitty appliances: bathtubs, stoves, washing machines… Blue found himself getting lost as he took it all in before a light (heh, _light_) cough brought him back to the present. He put on a smile and shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back a bit on his heels. “So uh, whatcha need?”

Mama Bri looked him over with a slight frown and folded her arms. “So tell me. If your brother isn’t interested in adopting a bitty, then why are you here?” she quietly asked.

Just like that, Blue’s already-fake smile fell, and he let out a heavy sigh. Glancing back over to where his brothers were, he took a step closer. “Sorry, it’s just… we’re worried about him,” he admitted, his voice barely louder than a whisper. “He’s got depression, and we’ve been trying everything. Therapy, medication… nothing seems to be sticking.”

“So you thought a bitty might help,” Mama Bri finished, nodding her head in understanding. Her brow furrowed. “I said it once and I will say it again: forcing someone into bitty ownership often spells disaster for all parties involved.”

“I know, and we won’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to, but… we have to try. We need to try. He’s lonely, ma’am. Berry and I are usually out all day, and if we ain’t there, usually he won’t get up and do anything.” Blue’s eyes began to flicker a bit, and he turned his gaze to a bitty-sized computer. “And… it’s getting to the point where we’re worried that one day we’ll come home… and…”

A gentle hand on Blue’s shoulder caused him to look back up. Mama Bri’s light was glowing softly, like a small, delicate candle. She offered him a tiny, supportive smile. “Hey. Don’t worry. I believe in my bitties, and I have every faith that one of them can help him.” She gave his shoulder the tiniest of squeezes. “It’s gonna be alright, okay?”

Taking a shaky breath, Blue nodded. “Yeah… yeah…” He offered her an apologetic smile. “Heh, sorry. I know it’s not your job to deal with folks’ emotional drama.”

Mama Bri smirked. “Mr. Blue, my job is to help make people’s lives just a little bit brighter.” She winked. “Pun intended.”

Blue couldn’t help but snicker, his eyes lighting up. “Thanks, I needed that.”

Mama Bri nodded before pulling away a bit. “So, I noticed your brother has a bit of a temper.”

“Heh, that’s an understatement,” Blue snorted, rubbing the back of his head.

“He doesn’t have any… _violent_ tendencies, does he?” she warily asked.

Blue’s sockets widened. “No! I mean… he sometimes throws things and kicks stuff-”

Mama Bri raised an eyebrow.

“But he’d _never_ hurt anyone on purpose, I swear,” Blue insisted. He paused, shifting his gaze away. “...besides himself,” he quietly added with a wince.

At this, Mama Bri relaxed with a quiet sigh. “Alright, I trust you. I just had to check.” She frowned. “That said, I expect you and Mr. Berry will ensure any bitty you take home is safely out of his ‘throwing and kicking zone’. Understood?”

Blue sheepishly nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

“Good.” A smile spread across her face. “Well then. Shall we get started?” Upon watching Blue nod, Mama Bri clapped her hands together and turned back in the direction of the others… only to have a snort escape her.

At the moment, it appeared Berry and Edge were engaged in some kind of intense plushy warfare, stuffed animals flying left and right. “AHEM!” Both brothers froze in place before, very slowly, turning to look at her. From behind, she could hear Blue sigh heavily and run a hand down his face. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” The two hastily scooped their ammo off of the floor and replaced the stuffed toys onto the shelves, both of them sending her embarrassed smiles once they had finished. She smirked. “Right then. If you two are done, I believe it’s time to get down to business!”

Edge stiffened. Berry, on the other hand, let out a tiny cheer of excitement, wrapping his arm around Edge’s and dragging him over to her. “So how does this work?” Berry eagerly asked, bouncing in place.

“Well, what we typically do is allow whoever’s adopting to venture into the play pen for a little meet-and-greet,” Mama Bri explained, neatly folding her hands in front of her. “From there, you’ll have a chance to interact with the bitties and get to know some of them. If you find one you really click with, you’ll be allowed to have a one-on-one chat with them in private, just to make sure that you two really are a match and that you’d like to go home together. If all goes well, we’ll sign the papers to make it official, and you all can head home with your new friend!” She scanned each of their faces, eyes aglow. “Any questions?”

Edge hesitated. “Uh… so like… what should I do when I get in there?”

“You don’t have to worry about doing anything,” Mama Bri replied softly. “The bitties will come to you. They’re smart cookies, so they’ll know what to do.”

Still unsure, Edge nodded and shifted his weight.

“Ooh! Can we go in the pen too?” Berry asked.

“For the purposes of adoption, we generally only allow the potential owner in,” Mama Bri explained, causing Berry’s form to slump in disappointment. “This allows for the most genuine bond possible to form without any interference from outside parties. After all, we wouldn’t want a bitty pretending to like Edge just so they could go home with him and be with you, now would we?”

Berry gasped in horror and frantically shook his head, earning a tiny smirk from Edge. “Oh dear, I hadn’t even thought of that! That would be the _worst_ possible outcome!”

“Aw, I dunno, dude,” Edge said, giving him a nudge. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a tiny buddy of your own?”

Quick as a whip, Berry turned to him and scowled. “Well YES, it WOULD! But today isn’t about me, it’s about YOU, you great big grumpy DOOFUS!”

“Do you have any recommendations?” Blue cut in, barely able to contain his amusement. “I was reading an article about the different types of bitties, so is there one that maybe we should be looking for?”

“Good question!” Mama Bri gave Edge a thoughtful once-over before turning back to Blue. “Normally, in a situation like this, I’d recommend a Helpful Bitty. They’re excellent caregivers and are great at adapting to better assist their owners.” She tilted her head. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any here at the center at the moment. However, if that’s something you’re interested in, there’s a therapy center the next town over that trains Helpfuls to be service bitties. If you get a recommendation from a doctor, then that’s another option that’s available to you if you don’t find someone today.”

Blue nodded, and Edge lowered his gaze, looking none too pleased at the prospect of facing yet another attempt to “fix him”. “We’ll definitely keep that in mind, thanks.”

“Of course, and I’d be more than happy to give you some pamphlets we have regarding service bitties.” Her gaze returned to Edge. “That said, a bitty is not solely defined by the color of their soul… pun not intended.” Blue still smirked, and the corner of Edge’s mouth twitched a bit. “All bitties have the capacity to be wonderful and loving companions. Our soul-sweaters simply act as a means to give folks a general idea of what they can expect and better pair them with potential owners: if you tend to stay indoors, then maybe an Adventurous Bitty isn’t right for you...unless you’re looking to get more active, in which case they’ll gladly show you how!”

At this, Berry lit up and turned to Edge.

Edge quickly narrowed his sockets and shot him a look. “I know what you’re thinking, and the answer’s NO. If you want an exercise buddy, then get one for yourself; I’m good.”

Berry simply rolled his eyes and scowled, crossing his arms with a huff.

“Anything else?” When she was met with silence, Mama Bri perked up. “Alright! In that case, let’s get to it then.” Her gaze fell on Edge. “You ready?”

Edge swallowed hard, the magic in his bones racing.

Aw fuck.

Feeling sweat forming on his skull, he nodded.

Mama Bri offered him a reassuring smile. “Just try to relax, alright? I believe in you.”

If only Edge could believe in himself.

Mama Bri brought them over to the play pen, where a large crowd had already gathered. The bitties murmured excitedly amongst themselves, pointing to each of the brothers as they tried to get a read on their potential new family. “Alright, everyone!” Mama Bri called out, instantly seizing all of their attentions. “I’d like you all to meet Mr. Edge,” she said, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder.

“_Hello, Mr. Edge!_” they called out in unison, causing Berry to squeak and Edge to shrink.

“He’s looking for a new friend today, so do you all think you can help him with that?”

A wave of cheers and confirmations rang throughout the group.

Mama Bri grinned and gave Edge’s shoulder a squeeze. “Alright, they’re all yours,” she murmured before turning to Blue. “I have a few phone calls to make, but my coworker should be in any minute now. She’ll be more than happy to help you with anything you need while I’m gone.”

Blue shot her a smile. “Thanks a ton.”

“Don’t mention it. Have fun!” With that, she bounced off, leaving the three brothers alone with a pen filled with bright-eyed bitties.

“Well, bro, you heard the lady,” Blue said, giving Edge a gentle nudge forward. “Go make a new friend.”

Edge shot him a half-hearted glare before turning back to the pen.

Why him?

Why was this happening?

Why did his stupid brothers care so fucking much?

AUGH!

Edge took a deep breath.

He really, really, really, really, **REALLY** fucking hated this.

Gritting his teeth, Edge stepped over the wall and into the pen.


	2. This Was An Awful Idea...?

This had been a huge mistake.  
  


As soon as Edge had set his sneakered foot inside the pen, the swarm of bitties had surrounded him. He wobbled in place, a wave of terror washing over him. Aw geez, one wrong move and he’d kill every last one of the little shits! How the hell was this even allowed?!

His expression of panic turned into a scowl as he heard Berry giggle behind him. Edge’s head snapped back to shoot a fiery glare at his brothers, both of whom were watching with a good deal of amusement. “Do you mind?!”

“Aw, what’s the matter, Edgy? Gettin’ self-conscious?” Blue teased with a shit-eating grin, eliciting another giggle from Berry.

Edge glanced down at the crowd of bitties, wincing at how some of them were attempting to climb his legs. He redirected his attention to Blue with an annoyed huff. “Just… let me do this in private, ‘kay? Go look at the clothes or some shit, I don’t give a fuck.” Anything to get them as far away as possible. This was bad enough, he didn’t need an audience too.

Blue’s gaze softened as he nodded in understanding, though he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. Asshole. “We’ll keep our distance. Just give us a holler if you need us.”

Edge sent him a curt nod in return, having no plans of doing anything of the sort.

“Alright, Ber. Let’s give him some space,” Blue said before shuffling off.

Berry shot Edge his most winning grin, eyes sparkling. “You’ve got this, Edge! Just show them the amazing big brother I know you are!”

Edge’s form relaxed a bit, and his face softened. Damn, why did Berry always have to be so genuine? It was easy to get pissed at Blue, but Berry? Impossible; kid was just too damn sweet. Self-loathing was simply not an option with the ball of sunshine around—his smile alone could melt even the coldest of souls. “Thanks, dude.”

Berry gave him two thumbs up before taking off after Blue with a “MWEH HEH HEH!”

Pfft. Dork.

Edge let out a sigh, and with reluctance, he let his gaze drop to the smiling crowd at his feet. He winced. He was never fond of being at the center of attention, and the fact that they were all tiny didn’t seem to help matters in the slightest. “So… uh… hey?”

_“HELLO!”_

He flinched, shrinking into his hood. Aw fuck, this was gonna be hard. Why did he agree to this? He needed to get the fuck outta here!

No… no… just… take a deep breath.

In…

Out…

Edge’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. Okay. Slightly better. Don’t panic. Just re-

“Would you like to sit down?”

Edge nearly jumped back, only stopping himself in time as he realized he’d potentially crush several innocent bitties in the process.

...

Wait. Did the whole “if you break it, you buy it” rule apply to killing bit-

**NO. NOPE. NOT GONNA THINK ABOUT THAT.**

...

Looking to the sound of the voice, Edge spotted a male in a blue sweater standing on the back of a small chair. Feeling a little numb, he nodded. “Uh, y-yeah. That um… that sounds great.”

Just like that, the sea of bitties parted, allowing Edge to make his way over to the chair completely murder-free. Well that was one problem out of the way.

The blue bitty sent him a reassuring smile, and Edge did his best to return it. If the bitty’s reaction was any indication, though, it probably looked pretty terrifying. Oops. Damn, why’d he have to get stuck with a skull full of nasty looking fangs instead of those nice and friendly teeth Blue and Berry had? It sure would make first impressions go a hell of a lot smoother.

With a sigh, Edge sat down in the chair. All at once, it felt like his nerves and uneasiness simply washed away.

Okay… okay. This wasn’t so bad. Now that he wasn’t towering above all the little squirts and relying on their own sense of self-preservation to keep from accidentally squashing them, he could actually breathe and think. Maybe… he really could do this.

...

These thoughts were immediately chucked out the door and he instantly regretted every life decision that had led up to this moment.

A multitude of tiny hands began to grab onto Edge’s pants as they climbed up, and it took every ounce of self control to not send the little buggers flying off. Geez! Did these things have no concept of personal space?! Before long, about ten had scaled his bony body, resting on his lap or shoulder or wherever they could find a spot. Others had made themselves comfortable in a nearby play tower, hanging out windows or chilling on the roof. The rest simply opted to remain on the floor, looking up at him with big curious eyes.

Edge hated touching. _Hated_ it. He could tolerate it from his brothers, but that’s because they were family. Anyone else though? _HELL_ no. His magic was racing a mile a minute as alarms blared in his head, his anxiety off the charts. They had to leave him alone eventually, right? Right?!

“So those other two are your brothers?” asked a girl in a pink sweater, currently seated on his knee.

Edge swallowed hard, trying his best to remain as still as possible. “Uh, yeah.”

“Is it just you three?”

“Suuure is, kiddo.” He could feel sweat beginning to form on his skull. Maybe doing this alone wasn’t such a good idea.

“What kind of things do you like to do for fun?” piped a boy in an orange sweater, kicking his feet while he studied Edge’s face from his shoulder.

“Uh, n-not much, really,” Edge admitted. His red eyes darted around the room, trying to find something to focus on. “Watch movies, I guess?”

“Ooh! I love movies!”

“What kinda job do you have?”

Edge shrank in his jacket, his face heating up. “Uh, I kinda don’t have one…”

“So what do you do all day?” asked the bitty atop the chair, raising a curious eyebrow.

“Just… eat and nap, I guess? Watch TV in between?” God, this was the worst. He already had to deal with judgemental assholes on a daily basis, he didn’t need to be interrogated by a bunch of tiny ones too!

“That doesn’t seem very healthy.”

“Maybe you could try exercising! Getting out and going on walks!”

Edge winced. “Uh, heh, that ain’t really my-”

“Sir!” Edge’s eyes fell down to a cheerful girl in purple, a drawing pad clutched to her chest. “I’ve never seen a skeleton monster before, and you just look SO COOL!”

Edge’s cheekbones grew rosy. “Uhhh-”

“Is it okay if I draw you? Please?”

His eyes shrunk to pinpricks and the rosiness spread. FUUUUCK no. “Heh heh… um… sure?”

She let out a tiny squeal. “THANK YOU!”

Oh great. Now his nightmare-inducing face would terrorize the tiny residents for weeks to come. How lovely.

A content hum from his left seized his attention, and Edge found himself staring down at a pair of bitties comfortably nestled into the fur of his coat, looking like they were mere seconds away from drifting off. He grit his teeth. “Uh, _HEYYY_, could you _NOT_-

“Are you and those other two _really_ brothers?”

The question made Edge’s head snap over to a bitty in black on the play tower. “What??”

“I dunno, you just seem a lot grumpier than them,” she replied with a shrug. “Your teeth are all spiky and your fingers are sharper and junk.”

Okay, before he was just getting overwhelmed, but now he was getting irritated. “Ya know, that’s a pretty damn rude-”

“Aw, don’t listen to her, Mister Edge,” came a rather tall bitty in green. “She just likes to pick on people.”

Edge winced. “Er, I-”

“Yeah! I think you seem like a real cool dude!” piped another.

“B-But you don’t even-”

“Mhm! Definite best-bud material for sure.”

“Wai-what? I-”

“Oh definitely! Those other two don’t have ANYTHING on you!”

“H-HEY! Don’t go talkin’ about my br-”

The comments and questions and remarks just kept coming in despite his feeble protests, one after the other with no sign of slowing. Though they were significantly smaller, the bitties soon drowned Edge out entirely with their chattering cacophony. He couldn’t even think straight; his own thoughts were hopelessly smothered by the sounds of too many tiny voices and the frantic rushing of his own magic. Everywhere his eyes darted, he was met with another face staring up at him with eyes that were bigger than should be allowed. His breaths were getting shorter and more erratic, and he had to resist the urge to wipe his sweaty hands on his pants.

Just keep it together, Edge-

“Seriously though, your teeth are SUPER sharp. Are you like, part shark or something?”

Just keep it-

“Is this a mustard stain? It kinda smells like it.”

Just-

“Hey, did you know you’ve got a hole in this sneaker? You should probably see about-”

**“S H U T U P ! ! !”**

It had only come out as a low growl, but the force behind it was undeniable, filled with barely contained rage. Somehow, he had kept himself from lashing out at the pests, though every bone in his body was shaking from the desire to do just that.

With several frightened squeaks, a large amount of the bitties fled from their previous resting spots, though a few brave ones still remained, their eyes studying him with worry. They began to gently pat and reassure him, but that only made it harder for Edge to keep it together; without meaning to, he started to quietly growl, the smell of burning wood filling the air around him. There were just too many of them! He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think, it was simply too much.

This had been a huge mistake.

He needed to get out of here, ASAP.

He needed Berry.

He needed Blue.

He needed-

“Well that was pretty rude.”

Edge’s entire body went stiff. All of the tiny, overwhelming voices fell silent, snuffed out in an instant. Slowly, he turned his head to the source of the voice, red eyes flickering dangerously.

Leaning against the wall a short distance away was a bitty in a yellow sweater, a mess of sandy blonde hair atop his head. His arms were crossed, and he studied Edge with an icy expression. “I mean, I thought you came here looking for a friend, not someone to yell at.”

Edge’s face fell, and he felt himself grow a bit nervous. Shit, he really did kind of lose his cool, huh? Even if they were getting on his nerves, he knew it wasn’t okay to take his anger out on the little guys. After all, they were used to dealing with normal, friendly monsters, not nasty assholes like himself. He sighed, slouching in defeat. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I just get irritated easily.”

The bitty snorted. “And yet you think it’s a good idea to get a bitty?”

“Well, I mean-”

“All they were doing was trying to get to know you, bud. They were just being friendly,” the bitty went on, steamrolling ahead. “And you’re saying that pissed you off?” He shook his head with a tut. “Not a good look.”

Several of the bitties began exchanging nervous glances.

Edge’s sockets narrowed a bit. “HEY. That’s not- I-I just got overwhelmed, alright?!”

“Oh you got _overwhelmed_!” The bitty stepped away from the wall and turned to face him, wearing an expression of mock delight. “I see now! Well, that just completely excuses everything, doesn’t it?”

Edge’s shoulders began to shake, and the few bitties who had remained on his person began to hastily retreat. “Man... fuck you. The hell is your problem?!” He already knew he fucked up, he didn’t need this four-inch asshole chucking it back in his face!

“I could ask you the same thing, Mr. _Edge_.” The bitty in yellow took a step forward. “We’ve been nothing but kind, and yet you’ve been openly hostile. You say you were overwhelmed just by us being friendly. So tell me: how are you gonna handle having one of us around 24/7?”

Edge’s eyes began to spark, and his fists clenched. Who the actual fuck was this little prick?

“Are you gonna lash out?”

Shut up.

“Are you gonna beat up your defenseless little friend?”

Shut UP!

“Or are you just gonna get rid of them altogether? Bring them back and return them? Abandon them on the streets to fend for themselves? Maybe just silently end it all with a quick sli-”

**THWUMP!!!**

Edge was on his knees, fist slammed down beside the bitty as his whole body shook and rattled. His teeth were bared, and his red eyes were practically aflame with barely-restrained anger, the very air around him fizzling and crackling from his magical inferno. **“Listen here, you little SHIT. You don’t know a fucking thing about me, so go crawl back into whatever mouse hole you came out of and. Leave. Me. ALONE.”**

The bitty in yellow, having stumbled back, looked up at him in a bit of shock for a moment. However, as the seconds ticked by, a slow smile crept across his face.

“...Huh. Point proven.”

...

Edge froze.

What had been a raging fire moments before was abruptly reduced to nothing more than damp pile of ashes, his blinding anger finally silenced. Raising his head, he looked around to see all of the bitties staring up at him. However, their eyes were not wide with wonder and delight this time, but rather fear and horror. As his gaze met their’s, they began to whimper softly and shrink back, clearly afraid he’d make them the next target of his anger.

Edge felt his soul lurch.

Oh no.

Oh no… he’d really fucked up this time.

Just like always.

Edge sat back upright, pulling away from the bitty in yellow. His sockets were as hollow as he felt, and his bones were quietly rattling.

Why couldn’t he do anything right?

His form crumpled a bit, and he buried his face in his hands, unable to let the tiny faces look at him with their frightened eyes any longer.

Why was he like this?

Edge grit his teeth as waves of frustration and self-loathing ruthlessly pounded him from every angle.

Why had he even dared to get his hopes up that maybe, just maybe, things would be different this time?

…

What was the point in trying anymore?

…

Maybe…

Maybe he shouldn’t try any-

“OW! What the-”

“That’s what you get!”

“Tiny?! What did I tell you? Go back into the play-”

“No way! What you did was NOT cool!”

...

...what the?

Confused, Edge parted his fingers a bit to see precisely what was going on.

A new bitty had arrived on the scene, one he didn’t remember seeing earlier. She was small, way smaller than the yellow sweater bitty she was glaring up at.

Huh?

“Look, Tiny, I know you’re still pretty new here,” the bitty in yellow sighed, “but you saw what just happened. If I hadn’t provoked him here and now, he might’ve gone home with one of us and we wouldn’t have any clue about the kind of person he really is.”

...wait what? Is THAT what that was? Some kind of sick test???

The smaller bitty, aptly named Tiny, put her hands on her hips with a huff. “Yeah, but you went too far! He was just really nervous!”

“Tiny, people don’t lash out like that when they’re nervous.”

“We’ll he wouldn’t have if you hadn’t kept pushing him! He even apologized before you kept egging him on!”

“I needed to see how he’d react!”

“That’s a bunch of baloney and you know it. You’ve just got a big head and an even bigger ego!”

The yellow bitty made a strangled sound of shock and annoyance, and Edge barely kept himself from doing the same. Holy shit, who WAS this little pipsqueak?!

Standing up tall (or as tall as she could), Tiny moved around the stunned bitty and strode right up to Edge. She stopped a short distance away, not getting too close, and cleared her throat. “Excuse me...sir?”

Rather stunned himself, Edge lowered his hands to look down at her. Now that he could see her clearly, he noted she was wearing an oversized green sweater. Her rather messy hair was a light, dusty brown, and a pair of bright blue eyes seemed to light up her soft face. In fact, now that he could get a good look at her, it was clear that she was just a kid. He didn’t know how bitties aged, just that most tended to be either teens or young adults. Now that he thought about it, she was the only kid he’d seen so far.

Tiny shyly bowed her head. “On behalf of EVERYONE-” she shot a look back at the bitty in yellow “- I’d like to apologize for your experience here today. This shouldn’t have been your introduction to bitty adoption, and I’m really really sorry things went so poorly.”

Edge blinked, trying to figure out how to react to the sudden shift in mood. “It’s uh… it’s okay, I guess? Ain’t your fault.”

She pursed her lips. “I still feel bad though.” Her eyes ran over his face for a moment. “You… still look kind of nervous,” she noted. “Do you want all of us to, ya know, skedaddle while you um, recover and stuff?”

Recover?

...Oh, huh. Whaddya know: he was still shaking.

Edge nodded. “I’d uh… I’d appreciate that, thanks.”

Tiny stood up straight and nodded her head, eyes shining with newfound determination. Heh, she kinda reminded him of Berry, looking like that. “Alright, everyone! You heard the big guy!” she called out as loud as her little voice allowed. “Give the man some space! Go find something else to do! ESPECIALLY you, Judge!” she added, whirling around to point at the yellow bitty.

The bitty, or Judge as she had called him, raised his hands and retreated, though he gave her a stony look as he did so. Soon enough, the rest of the crowd scattered, vanishing from sight.

Once the area had been cleared, Tiny turned back to Edge, her face soft once again. “Feeling any better?”

“Startin’ to, yeah. Just need to sit and chill for a few, that’s all.”

She nodded. “Would you like for me to go get your brothers?”

Edge blinked in surprise. “Wait. Ain’t you supposed to like, stay in here?”

A grin of pure mischief spread across Tiny’s face. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

He couldn’t help it: Edge let out a snort. “Heh, uh, alright kiddo. Yeah, if you could do that, that’d be great thanks.”

With a nod and a salute, Tiny took off for the chair, quickly scaling it. “Just sit tight, okay? I’ll be back before you know it!”

“If you say so, kid,” Edge replied with a smirk.

From atop the chair, Tiny took a leap, landing on the wall, only to wobble in place for a moment. Fortunately, she managed to regain her balance, letting out a relieved sigh as she did so. Sending Edge a smile and a wave, she hopped down to the tiled floor of the shop and took off.

Edge tilted his head and chuckled with bemusement. What a weird fucking kid…

—

It didn’t take long for Tiny to locate the brothers at all. With all the noise they were making, she was surprised she couldn’t hear them back in the pen.

“Oh but _PLEASE_, Blue!”

“We can’t afford it!”

“But it’s so _CUTE_!”

Tilting her head with a smirk, Tiny slowed her run to a halt. It would seem the pair were currently debating buying a bitty house—personally, while they were neat and convenient, she had always liked the idea of fixing up a little place of her own. “Excuse me, sirs?”

Both brothers jumped a bit and looked around, and it took a moment before their gaze fell to the floor. The one with blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, immediately dropping down to a crouch. “Oh! Hello there, little miss! Are you lost?”

Tiny stumbled back a bit from the sheer force of his positive energy, but she kept her smile all the same. “No, I’m not. I was actually looking for you two.”

The other brother lowered himself as well, though he was slower and his smile was slightly confused. “Lookin’ for us, huh? You _knee_d us for something, kiddo?” he asked, giving his knee a pat for emphasis.

Tiny giggled, hands flying to her mouth. Gosh, it was so refreshing to hear a simple, dumb pun—the other bitties seemed to prefer much more elaborate and mature jokes. Which were great as well! But… she didn’t always get them, and no one ever wanted to explain them to her.

Once she had recovered from her giggling, she shook her head, smile falling a tad. “Actually, it’s your brother who needs you.”

The cheer was sucked straight out of both skeletons’ faces, and Tiny immediately felt bad. Their smiles were so nice too, much nicer than the somber looks they wore now. “Is he okay? Nothing bad happened, right?” the blue-eyed one asked, leaning in even closer.

“He’s okay,” Tiny confirmed with a nod, earning a sigh of relief from both brothers. It was sweet how much they clearly cared for him… would anyone ever care for her that much? “He just got a little overwhelmed, I think? Everyone was really excited and I think it might’ve been too much.” Not to mention a certain _someone_ was incredibly rude, but she didn’t need to talk about that now.

The pair shared a look and seemed to have a silent conversation. After a moment, they turned back to her, gazes soft. “Thanks for getting us, we really appreciate it,” said the one with the white eyes.

“No problem. I’m just glad I could help out!” Tiny replied with a smile. “He seems like a nice guy-”

“Oh he IS!” the blue-eyed brother interjected with enthusiasm.

Tiny giggled. “Yeah, he really does. Maybe next time, you should try letting him meet only a handful of bitties? That way he feels more comfortable and everyone gets to see how nice he is.”

The brothers shared another glance, this time looking a little pained. Had she said something wrong?

Before she could dwell on it though, she had their focus once more.

“Thanks for the tip, kid. We’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“Would you like a lift back?” the blue-eyed brother asked, his voice growing in volume with excitement.

Tiny beamed up at him. “Yeah, totally!”

The blue-eyed brother let out a squeak of delight and thrust his hands out to her. Tiny wasted no time boarding her ride, and the moment she did, his eyes turned into shining stars. “OhmygoodnessyouresotinyandCUTE!!!” he breathed, bones happily rattling away.

“Calm down there, Ber,” the other brother chuckled, rising to his full height. “Don’t wanna let things get outta _hand_, ya know?”

Tiny couldn’t help but giggle, and the brother holding her let out a semi-amused huff as he stood up as well. “Yes, yes, I hear you. Now quit your punning; Edge needs us!”

—

While it felt like an eternity, it was only a couple of minutes before Tiny returned with Blue and Berry. However, when he saw his brothers come around the corner, Edge felt his magic finally begin to flow smoothly once more.

Berry hurried over to the enclosure and held Tiny out with a grin. “Edge! Your little friend came and got us for you!”

Edge sent him a smile. “I see that.”

Tiny quickly hopped off of Berry’s hands and scrambled back down to the floor. However, upon landing she tripped, only just barely catching herself before she faceplanted. Edge held back a snort as she righted herself and gave her limbs a shake. With proud smile, she hurried over to Edge and gave him a salute. “Sir! I have retrieved your brothers!”

Edge chuckled, gaze soft. “You did, and I really appreciate it. Thanks.”

Tiny let her form relax, and she started to fiddle with her hands. “So um… are you feeling any better?”

Edge nodded, glancing over at a group of bitties who were huddled inside of the play tower, watching them with wide eyes. “Definitely. Just needed some breathing room is all.”

“No one bothered you?”

“Not a single one.”

Tiny lit up. “Good! That’s really good! I mean, I’m really glad to hear you’re feeling better, sir.”

“You can just call me Edge, kid. No need to be formal.”

Tiny’s eyes grew big and round. “Okay… Edge!”

Edge couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. Maybe all bitties weren’t _totally_ obnoxious.

The sound of a throat being cleared caused Edge to look over at his brothers. Oh yeah, he had asked for them to come get him. To help him escape from this nightmare.

This nightmare that wasn’t… quite so nightmarish anymore.

Yeah.

He sent Tiny an apologetic smile. “Alright, kiddo. Time for me to get goin’. Thanks again for helping me though.”

At this, Tiny visibly deflated, though she kept her smile on. “Oh, o-okay. Yeah! No problem!”

Edge couldn’t help but wince a bit. Well that wasn’t genuine at all. It was almost as if she was disappointed…

...but that couldn’t be right.

Shaking off the feeling, Edge sent her a wink and a smile before standing up. “Good luck finding a home, kid. Whoever picks ya is gonna be really lucky.”

Tiny’s smile fell entirely, and the sight felt like a punch in Edge’s soul. However, she hastily picked it back up and slapped it on her face once more. “Th-thanks! Nice… nice meeting you!”

Edge’s own smile fell. “You too.” He sent her an awkward wave. “Later.”

“Take care…”

Edge walked over to Blue and Berry and exited the play area, a rather confusing mix of emotions swirling around inside of him. Blue placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

Edge nodded and took a breath. “Yeah… I’m good…”

“Sooo?” Berry asked, scooting closer.

“So…?”

Berry rolled his eyes with a smirk. “Did you, YOU KNOW, connect with any of them?”

Edge hesitated before turning to look back at the enclosure. The other bitties had come out of hiding and had surrounded Tiny, excitedly chattering and showering her in praise. Her back was to him, but he could imagine how happy she looked. After all, she was surrounded by so many friends that obviously cared about her. She was a good kid, she deserved all the love in the world.

And that was something she wouldn’t find with him.

He didn’t deserve someone that good.

Eyes dim, Edge shook his skull and avoided his brothers’ gazes. “Nah. I think I’m ready to head out.”

Though he wasn’t looking, Edge could hear a slightly strangled sound come from Berry, and he certainly sensed the way Blue tensed beside him. Figures that they’d be disappointed in his inability to do anything right. They shouldn’t be surprised though at this point, given his track record. Maybe this would mark their final attempt at trying to help him.

A sigh from Blue made Edge finally look up at his brother, who was casually shrugging. “Alright, if you say so.” With that, he began to shuffle towards the door.

Berry squawked, eye-lights tiny and bright. “Bwah?! But! BUT! _BLUE_!!!”

Blue raised a hand. “Berry, you heard him. He’s ready to go, so we’re gonna go. No buts.”

Edge simply sent a shrug of his own to Berry before following Blue, which earned another indignant squawk from the younger brother. Kinda odd that Blue was being so casual about this and wasn’t pushing him, but he wasn’t gonna complain.

That said… there was a weird feeling of… regret stewing inside of him.

Why did he feel so bad?

“It’s kind of a shame though,” Blue mused as he neared the door.

Edge tilted his head as he was jerked out of his thoughts. “What’s that?”

“I guess this coupon I brought is gonna go to waste. It’s a pretty good one too.” Blue stopped and raised a hand, a piece of paper between his phalanges. 

Edge’s brow bones rose.

“Thirty percent off child bitties. Expires today.”

Edge’s sockets grew round.

“Oh well.” Raising his other hand, Blue began to rip the coupon.

Hearing the sound of the tiny piece of paper being torn set something off inside of Edge. In a flash, he had pounced upon his brother, sending them both crashing to the floor with shouts.

“Ack! Dude, what the heck-”

“I wanna get her.”

Blue blinked owlishly before a smug grin spread across his face. “What was that?”

Edge’s face grew red as he glared down at him. “I said I wanna get her! Now give me that fucking coupon before I rip your hand off!”

“Hey, hey, no need to get violent,” Blue chided with a chuckle. Edge growled in response before snatching the piece of paper from his hands.

“Oh gosh! Are you boys alright?!”

Both brothers looked up in surprise to see Mama Bri hurry over, stopping to stand beside an equally perplexed Berry. “I’m sorry, I got a phone call that took longer than expected. Did someth-”

Before she could say anything else, Edge was on his feet and in front of her, resulting in the woman letting out a small squeak. Edge thrust the coupon at her, his face filled with stony determination. “I wanna use this.”

Mama Bri blinked before taking the coupon. Her eyes scanned it once… twice… Her brow furrowed.

“Um… this is a BOGO coupon for Cheesy Poofs?”

...

Edge froze, sockets going hollow.

From behind, he could hear Blue began to snicker.

Edge whirled around, eyes aflame. “You motHER F-”

“WHAT my brother means is that he’s interested in adopting a bitty!” Berry intervened, wrapping an arm around Edge’s shoulders to prevent him from punching a hole through Blue’s skull.

Mama Bri’s gaze snapped to him, clearly struggling to keep up with everything. However, she smiled after a moment, though it was obviously a bit confused. “Oh, alright! That’s wonderful!” Her eyes shifted to a very uncomfortable Edge. “Who was it that you settled on?”

Edge shot a dark look over at Blue, who had risen to his feet once more. “...Tiny.”

Mama Bri’s eyebrows rose, followed by a look of delight filling her face. “Really? Huh…” She sent Edge a warm smile. “I think you two are going to be a great match for each other.”

Edge felt his face heat up a bit, and he sent a shy smile in return. “So uh… what do I gotta do now?”

Mama Bri smirked. “Why don’t you start by giving her the good news?”

—

Things in the play zone had returned to normal after Edge had left. Everyone went about their business, hanging out with their friends and chattering and doing various activities.

And Tiny?

Well… Tiny sat on the chair that was much too large for any bitty. Her legs were hugged against her chest, and her head was resting atop her knees. Her eyes were hooded as she blankly gazed out at the expanse before her.

She knew she shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up, and yet…

Everything had felt so right.

With a sniffle, she wiped at her nose. To think she had let herself believe they’d want her. That if she proved herself useful, they’d see value in adopting a child bitty like herself.

Stupid…

So caught up in her cloud of angst, Tiny didn’t even notice the surrounding chatter go completely silent. She did, however, notice the awkwardly loud cough from above.

Snapping her head up, she was surprised to see the rather shy face of Edge again. What was he doing here? Tiny hastily rubbed at her eyes and sent him a smile. “H-Hello again, sir- I mean, Edge.”

Standing just on the other side of the wall, Edge leaned down and sent her a small smile in return. She liked his smile, it was nice. “Heh, uh, hey there, kiddo.” He paused, taking in her current state. “You uh… you okay?”

Sitting upright, Tiny nodded and made her smile bigger. “Yeah! Totally!” Her smile faltered as a thought struck her. “Did… did you come back to try and meet everyone again?”

Edge shook his head. “Nah, I think I got my fill the first time around.”

Tiny nodded, a wave of relief hitting her. The thought of watching him pick out someone else made her want to curl up and cry, and she didn’t think she could handle that right now. “Oh, okay. So what’s up?”

It was then that Tiny noticed both of the other brothers as well as Mama Bri hovering not too far behind him. That was weird…

Edge shifted a bit, looking increasingly uncomfortable. “Um… well ya see… I’ve got a question…”

Tiny tilted her head and sat up. Was this some kind of a test? Did Mama Bri put him up to this? “Okay, shoot.”

Edge sent an uncertain look back at his brothers, earning an excited nod of encouragement from one and a thumbs up from the other. He turned back to look down at her, clearly nervous. “Well I… shit. Fuck.” He took a deep breath. “Listen. I need ya to know that you don’t hafta say yes if you don’t wanna. Cause believe me, I understand if you don’t wanna. Heh, I know I wouldn’t wanna…”

Tiny tilted her head, trying to figure out where he was going with this.

Edge shook his head with a sigh. “Sorry. Any who… I know this is a long shot but… is there any chance maybe you’d wanna come home with me?”

“...what?”

Edge rubbed the back of his skull. “Like I said, don’t feel obligated to say yes. I know I made a real shit first impression and I ain’t all sunshine and rainbows and I’m a total asshole and- wait, why are you crying? Kid, h-hey. Hey! Stop crying! Shit!”

Tears were pouring down Tiny’s face as she beamed up at the now frantic skeleton above her. “Y-You… y-you really wanna take me home?” she squeaked out.

Edge froze, realization seeming to register. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I do. B-But only if you wanna.”

Tiny nodded her head and stumbled to her feet, sniffling and smiling and furiously blinking through the waves of tears. “I’d l-l-LOVE t-to!”

Slowly, a smile spread across Edge’s face, one that was joyful and genuine and showed off all of his big sharp teeth. “Heh… I’m really glad to hear that, kiddo.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy, so this took WAYYY longer than anticipated to write, heh. That said, I’ve still got one more short chapter for this in mind, so stay tuned! Hopefully that one won’t take as long!

**Author's Note:**

> As of now, I only anticipate this being 2-3 chapters long, so expect the rest to come very soon.
> 
> Kudos and comments are ALWAYS loved and appreciated! :)


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